Budget Travel - Cheap Hotels in Sydney, Australia

I am planning a trip to Australia for Mid Feb to Mid March in 2009 and am after some tips.

One of the things I want to know is which hotel I should choose in Sydney. I have a short list of 5. So long as the rooms are clean and I wont have my passport nicked is all I care about. So if you can recommend one on my list or tell me about a gem I have missed I wqould really appreciate it.

Sullivans in Oxford St, Paddington
http://www.sullivans.com.au/

Travelodge Sydney on Wentworth Ave
http://www.travelodge.com.au/locatio...s.aspx?hid=703

Pensione on George St in the CBD
http://www.pensione.com.au/

Aarons on Ultimo in Chinatown
http://www.aaronshotel.com.au/index2.htm

De Vere in Potts Point
http://www.devere.com.au/

Though I have not stayed at any of the properties you list, Mrs. kaukau and I did spend an enjoyable week at the Grace Hotel in the CBD, at King and York streets; one of the benefits of which was the location in the CBD. Definitely centrally located. Sooooo.......perhaps the Pensione on George St. in the CBD warrants a reccomendation based on location, all other things being equal.

Cheers!

also check the Meriton Apts.

If you're not too fussed about where you stay, and just want a cheap room then you can check out http://www.lastminute.com.au/hotels/secret-hotels.html - some good prices available when demand is low anyway (a colleague from work uses it often, and the likes of the Travelodge York Street or the Vibe hotel near Central have been winners in the past).

also check out the site www.wotif.com. They have a bunch of hotels listed there, as well as a "secret" hotel, the name of which they don't reveal, but it's usually 3-4 stars and is in a good location. And you get it for way cheaper!

thanks to one of the Canberra-based FTers I discovered this site whilst in Oz and was able to book a very nice room in the CBD of Sydney for AUD $600 for 4 nights (Vibe hotel). It was much more than I needed, room-wise, but the price wasn't bad at all. And I booked it last minute. You may find better deals!

After a fair bit of research, I decided on the Russell Hotel (http://www.therussell.com.au/) for a stay a couple of months back. Superb location in the Rocks, very friendly staff & an excellent price. Free wifi in reception, which also worked in my room, although I had to connect in the reception area.

The location is such that it is likely to be noisy on weekend nights & there's no air-con, so might be problematic in Jan-Feb (summer).

We stayed at the Best Western Uni-lodge during our stay. It's a rather interesting place, in that it has a lot of student housing mixed into a hotel type building. We were there during a holiday break though, so the place was rather quiet.

G'day.... Best cheap hotel chain in Australia.... clean, modern and new. Interestingly runned properties.... you can even check in via using a ATM, then you're issued a code to open your room door. Neat opperation and affordable in a very expensive market. http://www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html Have fun!